Audio & PA

The audio half of the catalogue, running from a single lavalier capsule to a full installed 100V line system, and stocked for live production, fixed install, houses of worship, schools and studio work. Sennheiser, Shure and Audio Technica cover capture and radio, Allen & Heath the consoles, NEXO and Optimal Audio the loudspeakers, and Biamp, Cloud and BSS the installed processing and zone amplification that keeps a building quiet in one room and loud in another.

The sub-categories follow the signal chain rather than the brand. Microphones / DI is where capture lives, from dynamics and condensers to gooseneck arrays and hum-eliminating balance boxes. Analogue Mixing and Digital Mixing Systems separate consoles by architecture, with stageboxes and personal mixers alongside the desks. Mic Line Mixers and Communications handle rack summing and crew talkback. PA holds loudspeakers and amplification, split between portable low-impedance rigs and 100V line distributed systems such as the Biamp Apart MASK and Optimal Audio Cuboid ranges. Monitoring covers wedges and in-ears, and Studio rounds out the chain.

Two decisions cause most of the trouble, and both are worth making before you look at a product page. For anything radio, the frequency variant matters more than the model: GB-band Channel 38 systems can run under an Ofcom shared licence, while other bands need coordinated licensing, and a bargain from another market may be illegal to use here. Our guide to UK wireless licensing sets out which band suits which job. For installed sound, establish whether the site is wired for 100V line or low impedance before choosing loudspeakers, because the two are not interchangeable and the amplifier decision follows from it. The 100V line and zone mixer guide covers that side.

Sizing is the other common trap. A desk bought on channel count alone runs out of mix buses when the band asks for monitors; a PA bought on peak SPL disappoints in a reverberant hall where pattern control mattered more. If you are putting a system together from scratch, the small venue PA guide works through the topologies honestly, including where a column array beats a conventional top and sub.

Everything here pairs with the cabling, power and rigging sections elsewhere on the site, and stock is held in the UK for next-day delivery. If you would rather describe the room and the cast list than pick parts, call the office and an engineer will spec it with you.

Audio & PA FAQs

Where do I start speccing a sound system? From the job, not the brand: count your sources, decide how many separate mixes you need, then size loudspeakers to the room. Our small venue PA guide walks the whole chain in order.

Do you supply installers and production companies? That is most of what we do, trade pricing, system design help and the install brands (Biamp, Cloud, BSS, Optimal Audio) alongside the live ranges. Call 0330 043 8650 with a channel list or room drawing.